And you know what that means. We had rain last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, but since then really spectacular weather for camping. However, this afternoon, rain is headed this way. They appear to have taken the severe storms and hail out of the forecast. Anyway, it is almost worth it for this gorgeous sunrise. We are at Lewis and Clark State Park, near Onawa, Iowa and this is the view from the back of our camper.

Yesterday was a long driving day but the scenery was great and we were amazed by the number of trains. We live in a town that grew up around the railroad and are used to a fair number of trains each day. But it is in the Plains that the prominence of the railroads in commerce becomes very evident. We took highway 34 most of the way and waited six minutes to get on the highway while three long freights--two going east and one west--passed. Then all along 34, we constantly met or passed trains, many hauling coal from Wyoming.

After we arrived at the park and set up, we took a short bike ride and stopped at the full sized replica of Lewis and Clark's keelboat. There is also a 1930s CCC lodge plus a brand new much larger lodge overlooking the lake. According to the DNR site, they hold a Lewis and Clark festival here in June, complete with a buckskinner's rendezvous that sounds like fun.

We want to explore the Loess Hills today before the rain. Then perhaps a fun trip to the Dirty to Pretty Clean Laundromat in Onawa is in order.

That is one glorious view to wake up to in the morning. All I had this morning was a view of mini lakes in the backyard under waterlogged trees! It is beautiful now though, blue sky and sunshine. Enjoy the rest of the trip!